Verse-by-Verse Bible Commentary

Coffman Commentaries on the Bible

THE REIGN OF JOASH: SOLOMON'S TEMPLE REPAIRED

A full century had passed since the death of Solomon. Rehoboam reigned for 17 years (1 Kings 14:21); Abijah reigned for 3 years (1 Kings 15:2); Asa reigned for 41 years (1 Kings 15:10); Jehoshaphat reigned for 25 years (1 Kings 22:42); Jehoram reigned for 8 years (2 Kings 8:17); Ahaziah reigned for 1 year (2 Kings 8:25-26);p and the usurper, Athaliah, reigned for 6 years (2 Kings 11:1-3) - a total of 101 years. Furthermore, the repair of the breaches in the temple did not take place until the 23year of the reign of Joash (2 Kings 12:6). Thus, a total of 124 years had elapsed following the death of Solomon, which was plenty of time for extensive deterioration of the temple and related structures. Also, Athaliah had been using the materials from it to construct and embellish her temple of Baal. Solomon's temple must therefore have been in serious need of reconstruction.

The length of the reign of Joash is given as 40 years (2 Kings 12:1), but nothing of any great significance occurred in his reign other than the efforts to repair Solomon's temple. As long as Jehoiada lived to advise and instruct Joash, he did what was right in God's sight, but following the death of Jehoiada, he lapsed into paganism and even approved the murder of the prophet Zechariah, the son of Jehoiada (2 Chronicles 24:20-22).

It is amazing that James Montgomery in the International Critical Commentary wrote that, "A reminiscence of this crime is preserved in Matthew 23:35."[1] However, that passage in Matthew has no connection whatever with the murder of this particular Zechariah. Christ, in that passage, was rebuking the Pharisees and exposing them as the secret murderers of another Zechariah, the son of Barachiah, not the son of Jehoiada. (See our comment on this in Vol. 1 (Matthew), of my N.T. Commentaries, pp. 378-379.)

A BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE REIGN OF JEHOASH (JOASH)

"Jehoash was seven years old when he began to reign. In the seventh year of Jehu began Jehoash to reign; and he reigned forty years in Jerusalem: and his mother's name was Zibiah of Beersheba. And Jehoash did that which was right in the eyes of Jehovah all his days wherein Jehoiada the priest instructed him. Howbeit the high places were not taken away; the people still sacrificed and burnt incense in the high places."

"Jehoash did ... right ... all his days wherein Jehoiada the priest instructed him" (2 Kings 12:2). The author of this passage was evidently one who loved Jehoash, because he refrained from recording the shameful lapses of this king after the death of Jehoiada. 2 Chronicles 24 gives us the "rest of the tragic story." The words "wherein Jehoiada ... instructed him" are ample witness and confirmation of the fuller account in Chronicles.

"Howbeit the high places were not taken away" (2 Kings 12:3). "These vestiges of the ancient paganism remained a constant snare. It was all too easy to slip into the nature and fertility rituals which the Canaanites had preserved for centuries at such shrines."[2] It finally came to pass that racial Israel turned away from God and embraced the gross sensuality of pagan worship almost (but not quite) totally. When it became evident that this was the determined will of practically the whole nation, God sent them into captivity in Babylon, where they were finally cured of their idolatry.

John Gill's Exposition of the Whole Bible

In the seventh year of Jehu Jehoash began to reign,.... So that he reigned twenty one or twenty two years contemporary with Jehu's reign, for Jehu reigned twenty eight years:

and forty years reigned he in Jerusalem; the same number of years David and Solomon reigned:

and his mother's name was Zibiah of Beersheba; a city in the tribe of Simeon, in the extreme part of the land of Canaan southward; her name in the Chaldee dialect is Tabitha, the same with Dorcas in Greek, Acts 9:36.

Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible

2 Kings 12:1-18. Jehoash reigns well while Jehoiada lived.

Hawker's Poor Man's Commentary

CONTENTS

This chapter contains the history of Jehoash's reign and death. He governed well during the life of Jehoiada, but after was led away from his uprightness. His death was induced by the treachery of his servants.

2 Kings 12:1

Whether the reign of Jehoash is reckoned from the seventh year of his life, when Jehoiada brought him forth to the people and anointed him king, is not said, but seems likely. And if so, he died in the prime of life, at the age of 47.

John Trapp Complete Commentary

2 Kings 12:1 In the seventh year of Jehu Jehoash began to reign; and forty years reigned he in Jerusalem. And his mother’s name [was] Zibiah of Beersheba.

Ver. 1. Forty years reigned he in Jerusalem.] A great part of these years, Jehoiada lived with him; and so long, did he not "eat and drink, and do judgment and justice, and then it was well with him?" as Jeremiah 22:15.

Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible - Unabridged

In the seventh year of Jehu Jehoash began to reign; and forty years reigned he in Jerusalem. And his mother's name was Zibiah of Beersheba. No JFB commentary on this verse.

Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers

XII.

THE REIGN OF JEHOASH, OR JOASH. (Comp. 2 Chronicles 24)

(1) Forty years.—A common round number. David and Solomon are each said to have reigned forty years.

His mother’s name.—The author of these short abstracts generally gives this particular in regard to the kings of Judah.

Beer-sheba.—A famous Simeonite sanctuary, and resort of pilgrims (Amos 5:5; Amos 8:14).

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge

the seventh

9:27; 11:1,3,4,21; 2 Chronicles 24:1-14

Jehoash

11:2; 1 Chronicles 3:11

Joash